Box



July 15, 1958 c. G. MYERS El'AL 2,843,306

BOX

Filed Sept. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Chester G. Myers l Carl E. Kuhlmcln Martin M. Beckner -WW%T/W July 15, 1958 c. G. MYERS ET AL 2,843,306

7 BOX Filed Sept. 2, 1955' I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F jg 6 I6 28 Chester G. Myers Carl E .Kuhlman Martin M.Beckner T'TORNEY INVENTORS United States Patent BOX Chester G. Myers, Carl E. Kuhlman, and Martin M.

Beckner, York, Pa, assignors to Autokraft Box Corporation, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,280 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to improvements in a box and, more particularly, to a box made by folding a blank cut or otherwise formed from suitable material such as chipboard. The invention also is particularly adapted to the formation of cigar boxes but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to such exclusive use.

As is well known, cigars are a relatively fragile commodity and it is necessary to provide reasonably strong boxes to contain cigars, not only during shipment but also while being sold. For example, when cigars are sold at an average cigar stand, a box of fifty cigars will be moved in and out of a show case many times until the last cigar is sold. Under these circumstances, the cigar box must be quite durable in order to sustain such usage without injury to the cigars and also the box must remain in reasonably pleasing condition during such use. The cost of forming cigar boxes from wood stock has in general forced cigar manufacturers to seek less expensive boxes, particularly in the popular priced cigar lines. Accordingly, box manufacturers have endeavored to meet this need by forming cigar boxes from chipboard sheet stock.

The use of chip-board stock for the formation of cigar boxes has presented a number of problems in not only providing boxes which are sufficiently rugged to compete successf lly with wooden cigar boxes, but the cost of forming such boxes from chip-board stock must be kept to a minimum. Suitable thickness of chip-board material may be obtained by laminating two or more sheets of chip-board of fifty points thickness more or less, for example, and blanks for the formation of the boxes may be 'cut by dies or otherwise from such laminated stock. However, lamination of such stock adds to the cost of the finished boxes in that such lamination in the present market may cost additionally as much as twelve dollars or more per ton than non-laminated stock.

Tradition also has demanded that the front and back side walls of a cigar box be sufficiently thick that a nail may be driven through the unhinged edge of the lid into the upper edge of the front side wall to hold the lid closed. Hence, these front and rear side wall panels must be sufliciently thick to receive such nail without marring the appearance of the wall after the nail is inserted. Further, sufficient friction must be afforded to the nail to hold the lid closed. It is obvious that if the front and rear side walls of the box are madegof equal thickness, no regard need be given to which of these side walls will have the hinge strip for the lid affixed thereto. In order to afford suflicient purchase for the nail by the ront side wall for example, manufacturers of cigar boxes have even resorted to the use of a side wall formed from wood, while the remaining panels of the box are formed from laminated chipboard for example. Such an arrangement obviously increases the cost of boxes made in this manner, however, due to the requirements of wood in addition to chip-board stock, special machinery, and increased labor costs. I

The present invention has. beendeveloped to provide the cigar industry, as well as any other industries requiring boxes of the type afforded by the invention, with a sturdy, less expensive box than has heretofore been available, made from non-laminated chip-board sheet stock of fifty points thickness, more or less for example, and formed into a box having front and rear side members of at least three thicknesses of laminated stock board without requiring added cost for such lamination, said lamination being effected incident to the folding and fixing together of the various panels of a blank from which said box is formed. Still another traditional requirement of cigar boxes is that the ends must be slightly higher than the front and rear side members in order that the lid of the box may be disposed against the upper edges of the front and rear side members, while being positioned between the upper portions of the ends of the box and flush with the top surfaces of said end members. Hence, still another object of the invention is to provide a box construction which may be formed automatically by folding upon box forming machines to produce boxes having not only the foregoing characteristics but also having ends which are higher than the front and rear sides of the box for purposes of accommodating the box lid in conventional manner.

One further object of the present invention is to utilize a blank formed from a single stock thickness of chipboard sheet material so as to have a minimum of waste scrap material but, in addition, singlethickn'ess chipboard stock having a finished paper sheet affixed to only one surface thereof may be used inasmuch as the blank is so formed and folded that the entire interior surface of the finished box, as well as the outer surfaces on both ends and both the front'and rear side members are finishpaper covered surfaces of said board stock.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a substantially flat blank formed from sheet stock, the blank being split and perforated to render the same capable of being folded into a box in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing certain of the panels of the blank folded in accordance with one step of the operation of forming a box from the blank shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the blank in Fig. 2 having still other panels folded incident to finally forming a box from the blank of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a still further arrangement of the box forming panels resulting from turning the folded unit in Fig. 3 about one edge l=and then bending the side and end forming members of the box so as to extend transversely upward from the bottom panel.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. -4 but showing all of the panels of the box folded into the final position they occupy in the finished box.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view, on a larger scale than used in Figs. 1 through 5, showing particularly the arrangement of the side and end forming panels of the box relative to the bottom panel thereof.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a further embodiment of box employing the principles of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Fig. 1, an exemplary illustration of one typical type of blank 10 is illustrated therein, the same being formed from any suitable stock such as chip-board. If it is desired to have a finish surface of any particular type upon the box to be forme by fo d ng f om e b a k 0,, i blank may b 3. formed from sheet stock having a cover sheet 12 of suitably colored or decorated paper for example which is glued or otherwise afiixed to one surface of the base sheet of chip-board or other material'from which the blank is formed. In Fig. 1, the finish surface sheet 12 is disposed downward so as to facilitate the understanding of the manner in which a box is formed by folding from the blank 10.

For use in the formation of cigar boxes for example, the blank 10 may be formed from chip-board sheet stock of fifty point thickness, more or less. This thickness for example, but without restriction thereto, may vary up to sixty points, as well as downward therefrom to whatever gauge is found necessary or desirable. Chipboard is of course practical for use in the formation of various types of boxes such as cigar boxes, inasmuch as said boxes are expandable and hence, the manufacturing cost thereof is to be maintained at a minimum. Further, chip-board offers the necessary rigidity, particularly when a plurality of plies of said chip-board are utilized to form any particular box panel so as to provide the desired or necessary thickness for said panels in the box. In accordance with the invention, such laminations preferably result from the folding of various panels upon each other, rather than by laminating the desired number of sheets of chip-board as a step preliminary to cutting or stamping the blank 10 therefrom. As explained above, such preliminary lamination of the sheet stock is a relatively expensive procedure in regard to the manufacture of boxes which necessarily have to be low in production cost in order to meet competition successfully.

In manufacturing boxes in accordance with the present invention, a preferably single thickness of sheet stock either having a finish surface sheet of paper 12 or other material affixed to one or both surfaces thereof if desired, is fed to a die cutting and creasing-machine, not illustrated, which is provided with suitable dies operable simultaneously to cut the blank 10 from the sheet stock, as well as form the various slits and perforated folding lines therein which will be explained in detail hereinafter, these being best illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3.

One of the principal objectives. of the present invention is to provide a box which may be folded from the blank 10, the box having composite front and rear sides 14 and 16 shown generally in Figs. and 6, which comprise a plurality of thicknesses or laminated plies of the sheet stock material, three plies being illustrated herein. Also, it is preferred that this plurality of plies, especially in the formation of the front and rear side panels 14 and 16, is produced by folding various panels of the blank upon each other and affixing said panels to each other by suitable adhesive, such folding preferably being achieved automatically 'by suitable machines available for such purposes and preferably utilizing either none or only a minimum of inserts separately, applied during the fabrication operations described above.

The present invention is applicable to the formation of boxes of various sizes having different desired lengths, widths, and heights. The blank 10 selected for illustration in the figures of the drawings is intended to contain fifty cigars and hence is of substantially conventional shape and size for that purpose. Hence, the bottom panel 18 is rectangular and the end-forming panels 20 are foldably connected to the opposite edges of the bottom panel 18 by lines of scored perforations 22 formed by the die cutting and creasing machine. Preferably the endforming panels 20 have small oppositely extending cars 24 at the upper edge of each end of the box when the blank 10 is folded into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The cars 24 necessitate the formation of notches 26 in additional panels 28 and 30 which are foldably connected by lines 32 of scored perforations to the opposite ends of side-forming panels 34. Side-forming panels 34 also are foldably connected by lines 36 of scored perforations to other opposite sides of the bottom panel 18.

- Other side-forming panels 38 are foldably connected 4 by lines 40 of scored perforations to the first mentioned side-forming panels 34, whereby it will be seen that pairs of side-forming panels 34 and 38 are foldably connected to each other and to opposite side edges of the bottom panel 18. The other sideforming panels 38 also have additional panels 42 and 44 foldably connected thereto by rows of scored perforations 46 which are continuous with rows 32 but preferably are slightly offset from the rows 22 of scored perforations for purposes to be described.

It will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2 particularly that the end-forming panels 20, the additional panels 28 and 30, and the further additional panels 42 and 44 are separated from each other by clearly illustrated scored cuts or slits formed by the die cutting and creasing machine referred to above, whereby said panels may be foldably moved independently of each other in the preferred manner described hereinafter. However, the scored cuts 48 which separate the pairs of additional panels 28 and 42, and 30 and 44 preferably are offset from the opposite ends of the rows 40 of scored perforations in order that the additional panels 42 and 44 may be wider than the side-forming panels 38 to which they are connected at opposite ends. In the specific illustration shown herein, it is preferred that the additional panels 42 and 44 be as wide as the length of the end-forming panels 20 considered in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bottom panel 18. The reason for this will become apparent hereinafter.

In order to provide front and rear side panels for the box which will be composed of at least three laminated thicknesses of the sheet stock, the additional panels 28 and 30 will each have a length approximately half that of the side-forming panels 34 and 38 when making a rectangular box of the proportions illustrated in the drawings. Hence, the additional panels 28 and 30 will be slightly longer than the additional panels 42 and 44, as well as the end-forming panels 20 as is obvious from Fig. 1. However, very little waste scrap material will result from cutting the exemplary blanks 10 from sheet stock.

After the blanks 10 have been formed by a die cutting and creasing machine, the blank 10 is further operated upon by another machine for purposes of automati cally folding inward the additional panels 28 and 30 upon the side-forming panels 34. Suitable application of glue or other adhesive to the panels is made automatically in order that said additional panels will firmly adhere to the side-forming panels 34. The partially folded blank then is ready for the next operation, performed by the same machine, which comprises folding the other side-forming panels 38 upon the previously folded additional panels 28 and 30 shown in Fig. 2, it being understood of course that suitable adhesive is first applied to said panels, whereby the folded subassembly illustrated in Fig. 3 is produced. 1

Incident to folding the other side-forming panels 38 into juxtaposition against the additional panels 28 and 30 as well as side-forming panels 34, it will be noted that the placing of the scored cuts 48 out of longitudinal alignment with the rows of scored perforations 40 to produce wider additional panels 42 and 44 as described above, the additional panels 28 and 30 correspondingly will be narrower than the side-forming panels 34, thereby resulting in the edges of the panels 28 and 30 farthest from the bottom panel 18 being spaced from the rows of perforations 40 so as not to crowd the above-described folding of the other side-forming panels 38 as shown in Fig. 3.

Following the folding operations described hereinabove which produces the folded sub-ssembly shown in Fig. 3, the same is then turned about one of its outer edges as illustrated is exemplary manner by the arrow shown in Fig. 3. Assuming that stock is used which has a finish sheet 12 fixed to one surface however, it will be seen from Fig. 3 that the folded side-forming assembly of panels will have the cover sheet 12 outermost on both surfaces of said side-forming assembly of panels.

After the partially folded blank illustrated in Fig. 3 is turned 180 as described above, it preferably is then placed in a set-up machine for the final folding and assembly of the box illustrated in Figs. 4 through 6. The now reversed blank is engaged by certain members of the set-up machine, not illustrated, so as to bend upward the end-forming panels so as to extend transversely from the bottom panel 18 as shown in Fig. 4. The composite side panels 14 and 16 likewise are bent up automatically by mechanism of the set-up machine to dispose the ends of said composite sides beneath the ears 24 of the panels 20 as is obvious from Figs. 4 and 5. From said figures it will also be seen that the additional panels 42 and 44 are substantially the same width or vertical dimension as the height of the end-forming panels 20, whereby the upper edges of the panels 42 and 44 will be flush with the upper edges of the panels 20 when the panels 42 and 44 simultaneously are folded upon the outer surfaces of the end-forming panels 20 after suitable application of adhesive to the abutting surfaces.

This folded assembly of adhering panels results in the composite box 50 shown in Fig. 5, wherein the ends are rigid members composed of two thicknesses of sheet stock, while the sides 14 and 16 preferably both are formed of three plies of sheet stock as is obvious from Fig. 6 which illustrates a bottom plan view of the assembled box. Further, the upper edges of the composite sides are disposed sufiiciently below the upper edges of the composite ends that a box lid or cover may be affixed to the assembled box so as to rest upon the upper edges of the sides 14 and 16 and be disposed between the upper edges of the composite ends of the box and flush with the upper ends thereof. The only panel of the entire box in this specific illustration which has a single thickness of stock material is the bottom panel 18 but such construction is highly satisfactory for all intended purposes.

The longitudinally continuous nature of the three-ply, laminated side-panels 14 and 16 produces substantial rigidity therein and the multiple-ply nature thereof affords sufiicient thickness to compare most favorably with the sides of conventional wooden boxes for example for purposes of receiving a nail to hold the lid of a cigar box closed.

Further, the folding of the various panels to form the ends and sides of the box 50 is of such nature that the finish surface sheet 12 for example is disposed over the entire interior area of the box as well as on the exterior surfaces of all composite ends and sides 14 and 16. For certain types of use, such finish may be adequate with out any further application of a finish surface. If desired, the surface sheet might be decorated or printed with desired information or figures and colors. However, in cigar boxes, the outer surfaces of the sides, ends and lid are covered with other decorative sheets of printed paper for example although the finish surface sheet 12 which covers the interior areas of the box may if desired constitute the finished interior surface of the cigar box.

Structurally, a box embodying the invention is rigid and capable of resisting bending and twisting due to the joining of the various laminations of side and end-forming panels with adhesive, as well as arranging the additional panels 42 and 44 so that they are continuations of the side-forming panels 38 whereby, when said panels 42 and 44 are folded transversely to the side panels 38 to adhere the same against the end-forming panels 20, very strong corners are produced in addition to simultaneously affording a very inexpensive manner of connecting the sides of the box to the ends thereof. Also, to facilitate the folding of the additional panels 42 and 44 into engagement with the end-forming panels 20, the

rows of scored perforations 46, together with rows 32, preferably are offset from the rows 22 of scored per} forations so as to dispose the panels 42 and 44 in a slightly offset position relative to the planes of the endforming panels 20 when folded to the relative positions thereof shown in Fig. 4. The offsetting of cuts 48 from rows 40 of perforations renders panels 42 and 44 wider than panels 34 and 38, so as to equal the height of end panels 20 when folded as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is also to be understood that while a number of the foldable connections between the various panels of the blank 10 are indicated as being rows of scored perforations, where desired, particularly for purposes of presenting a smooth appearance in the folded positions of the panels, said panels may be foldably connected by a continuous cut made only partially through the sheet of stock material.

It will be conceivable from the foregoing description that it would be possible to form a box embodying the invention from a blank having no waste material if either the dimensions of the box permit such arrangement of the blank and the panels comprising the same, or suitable additional filler blocks are utilized in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7 for example if the dimensions require such use. In order that no waste scraps result from forming the blank 10, the perimeter of the blank must be defined by four substantially straight edges. Hence, considering Fig. 7, it will be seen that if the additional panels 28' and 30 are to be formed in the blank 10 so that the blanks will be defined by four straight edges, then the additional panels 28 and 31] which correspond to panels 28 and 30 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 through 3, will be shorter than panels 28 and 30 and will leave a space between the ends thereof when folded as is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

In order that no appreciable space will occur between the side-forming panels 34 and 38 when folded into juxtaposition relative to each other and against the previously folded additional panels 28 and 38, a still further, additional insert or filler panel 52 of preferably the same thickness as the sheet stock from which blank 10 is formed is affixed to panel 34 at the same time, for example, that the additional panels 28' and 30' are folded thereagainst and glued into place. Preferably, the outer edge 54 of filler panel 52 is disposed so as to be in alignment with the corresponding outer edges of the folded additional panels 28' and 30', as shown in Fig. 7 i If the box formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. 7 is to be used as a cigar box, the filler panel 52 will serve to receive the nail by which the lid of the box is held closed. To facilitate the holding of the nail firmly, the filler panels 52 used respectively in the opposite side panels 14 and 16 of the box, if desired, may be formed from somewhat different stock material than that from which the blank 10 is formed. For example, the filler panels 52 may be formed from suitable friction material or a board stock containing friction material of any suitable nature. It will be understood however that filler panels 52 only are required because the additional panels 28' and 30' are less than half the length of the side-forming panels 34 and 38 if formed from a blank having four straight edges defining the same.

It is not necessary for the filler panels 52 to completely fill the spaces between the inner ends of the panels 28' and 30 when folded, thereby further minimizing material requirements. Said filler panels will not only strengthen the composite side panels 14 and 16 of the finished box but they also will prevent sagging of the panels 34 and 38 relative to the space between the panels 28 and 30 which might occur if said filler panels 52 were not used.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention comprises a rigid, rugged, and inexpensive box which may be formed by folding a blank cut and scored from a single thickness of suitable gauge sheet of chipboard or other suitable stock to produce a box having from and rear side panels as Well as end panels comprising laminations of plural thicknesses of said sheet stock. Further, the various panels of the cut and scored blank are capable of being inexpensively folded automatically upon available machinery. Also, the arrangement of the panels which are folded is such that where it is desired to have a finish surface sheet affixed to one surface only of the sheet stock, the folded box will have the entire interior area and the outer surfaces of all of the sides and ends of the box covered by said single sheet of finish surface material such as paper having a suitable finish as to texture, color and the like. Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed which embody similar principles of the invention, both of which primarily are directed to the utilization of blanks which either minimize or com pletely eliminate waste scrap material resulting from cutting said blanks from sheet stock material.

While the invention has been shown and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. A cigar box formed from a flat blank cut from sheet stock suitable for folding into a box formation of rigid sides and ends of multi-layers of said sheet stock and comprising a bottom panel having pairs of opposite side edges, end-forming single panels foldably connected respectively to one pair of opposite edges of said bottom panel and extending upwardly therefrom, pairs of similar elongated foldably connected side-forming panels respectively foldably connected to each other along adjacent longitudinal edges and one of said panels of each pair being foldably connected along its opposite longitudinal edge to the other pair of opposite edges of said bottom panel and extending upwardly therefrom and the other side-forming panel extending downwardly from the upper edge of said one side-forming panel exteriorly thereof, additional panels foldably connected respectively to the opposite ends of both side-forming panels of each pair, said additional panels which are connected to the ends of said one side-forming panel of each pair being folded upon said one side-forming panel and the other side-forming panel of each pair being folded downwardly upon said folded additional panels to form the exterior of said side and also enclose said additional panels between said side-forming panels to form composite box sides of three thicknessess of sheet stock throughout substantially the entire area of said sides, said panels forming said composite box sides being secured together adhesively in flatly abutting relationship and the additional panels connected to the ends of said other side-forming panel of each pair being folded transversely to the ends thereof and respectively into flatly abutting relationship with one surface of the end-forming panels and adhesively fastened thereto, thereby securing the ends of said composite box sides to the ends of said end-forming panels to form a box having ends of two thicknesses of stock throughout substantially the entire area of said ends.

2. The box set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said additional panels which are connected to said one side-forming panel of each pair thereof being substantially half as long as said one side-forming panel of each pair thereof and folded thereupon in end-to-end relationship.

3. The box set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the additional panels which are connected to the other side-forming panel of each pair being approximately as wide and half as long as said end-forming panels and are aflixed flatly thereto and cover the outer surfaces thereof.

4. A cigar box formed from a blank cut from sheet box stock finished on one surface, said blank and box comprising a bottom panel having pairs of opposite edges and said finish surface of the panel being uppermost on the interior of said box, end-forming single panels foldably connected to and extending transversely from one pair of opposite edges of said bottom panel and having the finish surfaces of said end-forming panels facing each other and comprising the inner surfaces of the ends of said box, pairs of side-forming panels, the panels of each pair being foldably connected longitudinally to each other at the upper edges of said box and the inner panel of each pair respectively being foldably connected to the other pair of opposite edges of said bottom panel and the panels of each pair also being folded into flat juxtaposition adjacent each other to dispose the finish surface of each panel outward to form the opposite outer surfaces of said sides and extending transversely to said bottom panel, a pair of additional panels respectively foldably connected to and extending transversely from the opposite ends of each outermost panel of each of said pairs of side-forming panels, each of said additional panels being approximately as wide and half as long as said end-forming panels and affixed flatly to and covering the outer surfaces of the latter panels with the finish surfaces of said additional panels disposed outermost, whereby the finish surface of the sheet stock comprises the entire inner area of said box and the outer surfaces of the ends and sides of said box, and another pair of additional panels substantially as wide as said side-forming panels foldably connected to the opposite ends of both of the innermost side-forming panels of each pair thereof and folded flatly thereagainst to enclose the same respectively between the folded pairs of sideforming panels in end-to-end relationship and adhesively secured thereto, whereby the upper edges of said enclosed additional panels are covered by the upper folded edge of each pair of side-forming panels to produce box sides having a thickness in excess of two panels of said box stock throughout substantially the entire area of said sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

